Opinion

Thursday, 22 October 2015

India’s daughter, a documentary based on 2012 Delhi gang-rape gets the
backing of legendary actor Meryl Streep for Oscar.In a bid to support an ongoing global initiative
to project India as the country of rapists (to a populace whose primary source
of information is YouTube), the Mamma Mia star has already started campaigning
for it.

This smartly edited documentary, which gave everyone an opportunity to
get a glimpse into the life of a rapist and understand the rationale behind his
action, earned critical acclaim around the world.

A couple of grieving humanitarians

Leslee Udwin, the director of the documentary said she had found hope
in the outpouring of support following the incident but was dismayed at the
timid outcry after a 4-year-old girl was raped in Delhi; however, while making
the documentary, even she decided to choose a widely read story over others.

Meanwhile, the organizers of the show are planning to honor Ram Singh,
the late rapist who died in police custody, by placing his life-sized portrait
on the stage.And when Ms. Udwin is
presented with the award, which would be a statuette of Mukesh Singh, the
rapist she interviewed for the documentary, his quote, “When being raped,
victim should be silent and allow it,” would reverberate through the auditorium

Though Academy Awards are usually conferred to Hollywood version of
Rohit Shetty movies, the jury becomes highly intellectual while selecting a
movie based on India, a country home to 1.2 billion unidentified snake
charmers.

The audience fails to connect with an Indian movie if it doesn’t
feature a few gloomy faces against the backdrop of a dilapidated house or if it
doesn’t have a horrifying story of social injustice narrated in a dimly lit
room by a terminally ill person, and although this documentary is an aberration
from the preset norms, it covers all the bases by portraying the country as a
substitute for hell and make them feel less miserable about their own
lives.However, their alter egos take
effect when they dance behind the lead actors in commercial Bollywood movies
for a living.

Justifying her stand, the three-time Academy Award winner said, “When I
first saw [the film], I couldn’t speak afterwards,” which struck a chord with
Ramu, a resident of Delhi.Speaking to media, he said, “That’s a wonderful gesture.Even I couldn’t speak for hours after I
watched 9/11 attacks.I think all the
news channels that covered the story should be given one Oscar each.”Many in India argued that even Ram Gopal
Varma’s Aag deserves an Oscar as they went through a state of trance after
watching the movie.

Inspired by the success story of Ms. Udwin, who keeps tabs on all cases
of crime against women in India, even though the situation in her own country
is not that rosy, many aspiring Oscar-winning filmmakers are heading towards
Tihar Jail to interview other rapists.

[A photograph of a starving kid on the street doesn't help the kid, it only helps the photographer earn fame. Similarly, this documentary does nothing other than helping the maker get recognition].